1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for manufacturing an absorption pad used for picking up a semiconductor package or a strip during a semiconductor manufacturing process.
2. Related Prior Art
In general, a semiconductor manufacturing process is mainly divided into a fabrication process and an assembly process. During the fabrication process, integrated circuits are designed on a silicon wafer, thereby forming a semiconductor chip. In addition, during the assembly process, a package strip is fabricated by sequentially performing various steps of attaching the semiconductor chip to a lead frame, electrically connecting the semiconductor chip to the lead frame using wires (or forming a solder ball), and molding the semiconductor chip with resin, such as epoxy.
Such a package strip is mounted on a workpiece transfer section of a sawing machine and a vacuum force is applied to the package strip so as to secure the package strip onto the workpiece transfer section. Then, the package strip is transferred to a dicing device, so that the dicing device dices the package strip into individual packages by using a rotating blade. The individual packages are transferred to another place, such as a package stacker, by means of a transfer picker. The workpiece transfer section and the transfer picker are provided with absorption pads, which pick up the package strip or the individual package by using a vacuum.
The present invention is not only applicable for such an absorption pad of the sawing machine, but also applicable for absorption pads used in Pick & Place equipment and various semiconductor manufacturing devices. For the purpose of convenience, the present invention will be described while forcing on the absorption pad used in the sawing machine.
According to one of methods for fabricating the absorption pad, rubber is inputted into a mold and heat and pressure are applied to the mold. Hereinafter, description will be made in relation to the absorption pad fabricated through the above method with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating the absorption pad used for picking up a semiconductor package. The absorption pad includes a plurality of package absorption cavities 11 in the form of a matrix. A vacuum hole 13 is formed at the center portion of each package absorption cavity 11. The package absorption cavities 11 are defined by recesses 15 having predetermined depths for receiving rotating blades used for dicing the semiconductor package. In a state in which a package strip is mounted on the absorption pad, if the rotating blades are rotated until the rotating blades are accommodated in the recesses 15 within a predetermined depth, the package strip is diced into individual packages.
Such a process for dicing the package strip into individual packages is carried out by means of a sawing machine. The sawing machine employs the absorption pad so as to prevent the package strip from being damaged when the sawing machine picks up the package strip by using a vacuum. In addition, the absorption pad is also attached to a picker used for transferring the package strip to the sawing machine or transferring the individual packages from the sawing machine to another place, such as a package stacker. In order to fabricate the absorption pad, rubber is inputted into the mold and heat and pressure are applied to the mold.